Railway-vehicle ash or other waste transfer method and apparatus



April 19 19.27.

S. S. RIEGEL RAILWAY VEHICLE ASH OR OTHER WASTE TRANSFER METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed April 28. 1925 Z Sheets-Sheet 1 (lull! 1,625,429 l 1927' s. s. RIEGEL RAILWAY VEHICLE ASH OR OTHER WASTE TRANSFER METHOD AND APPARATUS Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

umrso s'r'res Pars T Q P F l C E SAMUEL S. RIEG-EL, 0F SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. ALLEN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY-VEHICLE ASH OR OTHER WASTE TRANSFER METHOD AND APPARATUS.

Application filed April 28, 1925. Serial No. 26,440.

This invention relates to a railway vehicle ash or otherwaste transfer method and apparatus. I

Broadly stated, the object of this invention is to provide for use in railway vehicles while moving, a method of and apparatus for transfer of ash or other waste material from an initial waste receiver into a temporary storage container which is in conduit connection with a receiver. Another object i to irolong the life of ash producing locomotive grates and ash pans and also, preferably, to cause the heat of the transferred hot ashes to also the temperature of boiler supply water and to keep such water from freezing.

The principle of this invention may be embodied not only in locomotive and tender construction as now shown for the transfer of ash, but also to water closets and wash stands in passenger cars for transfer of waste material from the water closets and wash stands to temporary storage containers from which the waste material may be removed at convenient times and places.

As shown, the apparatus is operable at will by manipulation of a control valve within reach of an operator.

In my applications filed simultaneously herewith, Serial Nos. 26,441; 26342; and 26,443, each filed April 28, 1925, I set forth apparatus operating by the hereinafter claimed method, such apparatus relating to the transfer of waste from water closets and wash basins in passenger cars.

Referring now particularly to prior ash pan construction in coal or wood burning locomotives, it is noted that on large locomotives the ash pans are, of mechanical necessity, of insuflicient capacity to hold enough ash for even a moderately long run of from sixty to one hundred miles without over-filling the ash pans with hot ashes and thereby burning out the ash pans and the grates, either or both. "Heretofore, the ash pans have required emptying at intervals and trains have been delayed by the necessity of empty ing the ash pans. In ash producing locomotives some unburned coal frequently passes through the grates into the ash pans and reigniting, burns'out or overheats the ash pans and grates. In winter weather the ash in the ash pans is frequently frozen because when ash is dumped hot into the ash pans the ash is often wet down to put,

out the fire with the result that the wet ash freezes. By the present invention these practical objections are obviated. Moreover, when, as herein shown, the hot ash with or without clinker content, is transferred into the temporary storage container, the con tainer installed in the boiler water supply compartment of the tender gives off its heat to the adjacentwater and raises its temperature and is effective in preventing the water in the supply compartment from freezing. Not only are the lives of the ash pans and grates prolonged, but also by frequent removal of the ashes and clinker, either or both, from time to time from the ash pans into the spaced apart storage containers, locomotives equipped with apparatus embodying this invention are serviceable for much longer runs than heretofore, without road detentions for ash pan emptyings.

The advantage of the transfer of waste material from the water closets of passen ger cars into temporary storage containers which can be discharged at convenient times and places involves sanitary advantages. It frequently happens when passenger, and especially parlor, cars arrive at stations, that uncleanly conditions occur during a stop due to the discharge of the water closets.

In connection with the transfer of ash and clinker, either or both, from the ash pan of an ash producing locomotive into a temporary storage container it is noted that such container is of much greater storage capacity than the ash pan, can be discharged at convenient times and places and that in the cases of the ash or water closet discharges the road bed is freed of ashes and pollution.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and illustrating the invention:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a portion of a locomotive and of a tender equipped with ash transfer apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional detail at line 22 of Fig. l and illustrates a transverse deflector inthe upper end of a temporary storage container and also details of the head of the container.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional elevation of a partial-vacuum apparatus communicating with the head of said storage container in communication with a motor driven suction fan casin Fig. 4 is a lengthwise section of a imiver- Cry sal conduit-coupling between an ash trans fer conduit leading from the ash pan of the locomotive and an ash transfer conduit in the tender and which discharges into the storage container.

Fig. is an engaged lengthwise sectional view at line o't (5 ot' the ash pan provided with clinker crushing apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a top plane view of the ash pan equipped with a clinker crusher and Fig. 7 is an end view of what is shown in Fig. (3.

In the illustrated form of the apparatus, locomotive A having an engineers cab (a is shown coupled to a tender B having a boiler feed water supply compartment 7). The grate is indicated by 1 and the ash pan under the grate by 2. The top side of the ash pan is exposed to the atmosphere, as shown, through a passage 3 between the g ate and the top side of the ash pan. From the rear end of the ash. pan, a conduit 4rextends upwardly and is shown terminating in a partially spherical enlargement 5. A movable couplingconduit 6 having a partially spherical end 7 is titted in a partially spherical enlargement 9 of the conduit 10 which leads upwardly through the forward portion of the tender and passes into the storage receiver 12 which is rearward of the water compartment partition 11. The conduit coupling consists of telescopically mounted tube sections 6 and (3, the latter having a partially spherical cnlargen'ient 8 fitting the enlargement Thus, the conduit coupling is given practically universal movement to meet the flexing conditions to which it. is subjected in use. Said conduits and couplii'ig members are of material rcsistant to destruction by the hot ashes translferrcd from the pan to the container.

The discharge end of conduit 10 is en tered in the upper end of the temporary ash container 12 located in the alter compartment 7) and is, preferably. entirely surrounded by the boiler feed water supply. The under end 13 of container 12 extends through the floor of the water compartment and is provided with a discharge port 14: which is controlled by a stopper device 15. The stopper device is closed when the apparatus is in use and is opened for discharge of the contents oi the container. The container is preferably round in crossscction. The ashes are discharged from the conduit 10 against the concave side of the transverse deflector 16 mounted in the upper end oil the chamber oi the container. The edges of the deflector are spaced apart from the wall of thc container and the deflector is spaced apart from the discharge end of conduit 10. 'Entrant ash. with or without clinker content, striking against the deflector falls downwardly into the lower portion 01"- the container. Clear spaces 11? are formed .between edges of the defiecto and the opposed wall of the container for upward and out ward travel of: dust and also ot the air which enters the conduit l: with the ash and is caused to llow through conduit 1, coupling conduit 6 and conduit 10 into the container 12. The upper end portion of container 12 is provided with a chambered head 18 of cup form through the bottom of which the upper portion 01 container 12 extends upwardly. The top of the cupped head structure is formed with an opening which is made air tight by a cover 19 held in place by screws 20 passing through. the margins of the cover into the annular casting 21, the outward wall 21 of which is tightly fitted at 32 to the brim portion of the cupped head 18.

Casting 21 has a dependent annulus 93 of larger diameter than the container 12 and Off lesser diameter than the side wall of the cupped head and of the thereto titted outward annular wall 21 of the casting 31. The dependent annulus 23 clips down into a liquid seal a: which may be tar or oil, for example, held in the bottom of the cupped head 18. The upper end of the container 12 is spaced apart from the cover 19 to form a dust and air receiving chamber 2-1 from from which air and dust travel downwardly and into the annular space 25 between the opposed wall. 0t container 12 and the dependout annulus 33. bluch dust and air are then caused to pass into the liquid seal. whereby the dust is washed out and the air travels upwardly through. the liquid seal into the annular space 25 between the 'depei'ident annulus 52 i and the outer annular wall 21. ot casting 21. The space 25 is in comn'uinication with a manifold 5 26 through an intake 27 the end of which is tilted to the rear portion of the wall of the casting 2i. Any dust and air traveling from the storage tank through the seal passes through the manitold 26 and through a conduit 27 into a noisc-mulller 28 "from which a conduit 520 extends and discharges into the tlllll'iflSPllGltl through an exit ill) in the floor of the water compartment 7). lhc noise-mulller 2S and the conduit 29 are also mounted in the water conunirtmcnt and yield their boat to adjacent water.

From the chambered head 31 conununicat; ing with the steam supply of the locomotive, a conduit 31 leads to a control valve in the engineer's cab the control valve being provided with an operating handle 3 whereby the apparatus may be put into or out at operation whenever the attendant desires.

From the valve 32 a conduit 34. leads dmvnwardly to a flexible coupling section between the locomotive and tender, and from the coupling section 35 a conduit 36 extends into the upper end of and dis?- charges into the manifold 26 through a nozzle 26. This nozzle discharges into the end of a conical tube 26 located in the outlet wall of the manifold. The conical tube discharges into the conduit 27*.

WVhen the control valve 32 is open, steam flows into the manifold 26 and produces a partial vacuum therein with the result that atmospheric pressure on the ash and clinker, either or both, in the ash an, forces the ash into the upper portion the ash container 12, while the dust and air are caused to travel through the manifold and out through the noise-muffler and its discharge conduit to the atmosphere. The major part of the dust is retained by the seal liquid.

An auxiliary suction apparatus is provided for the ash transference, in order that if, for any reason, the steam supply from the locomotive to the manifold 26 fails or is not desired, the transfer may be con tinued by putting the auxiliary suction apparatus into service. If desired, the auxiliary suction apparatus and the described partial vacuumizing apparatus may be used -v simultaneously.

Said auxiliary suction apparatus comprises (Fig. 3) a motor M the shaft 37 of which is provided with a suction fan 38 mounted in acasing 40 which has an intake conduit 41, that is connected at 42 to a rear-' end conduit 43 of the manifold 26.

Conduit 27 is provided with a shut-off valve 44.

As shown, the fan casing discharges into the upper end of a conduit 43 which leads downwardly, through the water compartment, into the top of the noise-muffler 28' and goes out as before to the atmosphere.

Conduits 41 and 43 communicate through a shut-off valve 45.

WVhen the shut-off valve 45 is closed and valve 44 is open, the travel of dust and air to the atmosphere is through conduit 27. lVhen both valves are open, such travel is through conduits 27 and 43 When the locomotive fuel is such as produces clinker as well as ash, the ash-pan is provided with a crank shaft 46 shown extending lengthwise of the ash pan and supported there-on-by bracket bearings 46 The crank shaft is provided with a pitman 47 which passes through a side wall of the ash pan and has its inner end connected to a trunnion 48 of a clinker crushing member 49, said trunnions being parallel to a crank shaft and a clinker crushing member, a lower portion being provided with trunnions 50 below and parallel with the trunnions 48.

The end trunnions 50 are severally mounted in opposed bosses 51 with which the end walls on the ash pan are provided. Rotation of the crank shaft thus oscillates the clinker crushing member 49. Said memher is located midway between the sides of the pans and is provided along its length with projections 52 that work oppositely through spaces 53 between spaced apart,

stationary projections 54 some of which project from one side wall and others of which project from the opposed side wall of the ash pan. Clinker or the like falling from the grate with the ash is thus reduced to dimensions which permit it to be transferred through the conduit connection between the ash pan and the temporary storage container, in partial confinement.

Whenever desired a booster tube 55 may be entered in the ash transfer conduit as in in the conduit section 4 and supplied with steam from the conduit 34 through a branch pipe 56. The discharge end of the booster tube 55 discharges rearwardly into conduit 4. Ashes, with or without clinker, heretofore discharged on railway tracks are highly objectionable, because of injuries to ballasts, ties and road bed equipment.

The method hereinafter claimed is applicable to passenger carsand may be also used in air-going craft for transfer of toilet waste from a place of initial deposit into a temporary storage container dischargeable at any selected place. e

Other embodiments are apparatus useful for working the said method shown in my applications simultaneously filed herewith SerialNos. 26,441; 26,442; and 26,443, each riled April 28, 1925.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The method of transferring waste in vehicles, consisting in subjecting initially deposited waste comprising light weight and heavier constituents in partial confinement and exposure to the atmosphere, to the force of unbalanced gaseous fluid pressure and in thereby causing the initially deposited waste to flow to a place of temporary waste storage; in maintaining the flow of waste constituents, in partial confinement and out of contact with the atmosphere e2:- terior to the path, of flow, from the place of initial deposit to the place of temporary waste storage; in therein separatin the light weight constituents from the eavy weight constituents; in causing the deposited light weight constituents and air from the place of temporary waste storage to pass through a liquid seal; in entraining the light weight constituents and air in a current of fluid and discharging the same quietly into the open air; and in temporarily c011- fining'the waste out of contact with the atmosphere surroundingly exterior to said place of temporary storage.

2. In an ash producing locomotive and tender construction, the combination of an open top, locomotive ash receiving pan; a therein contained clinker crushing mechanism discharging downwardly into the all) conduit leading rearwardly from the lower portion of the ash pan; a tender provided in its forward part with a rearwardly and upwardly extending ash conveying conduit: :1 heat resisting conduit coupling between said conduits: and in the tender, a vertical, temporary ash container, said conduit in the tender discharging into the upper portion of said container, and the container being provided with an ash discharge through the floor of the tender; a covered liquid seal container exterior to and enclosing the upper end of said ash container and having walls spaced apart from the walls of said ash container; a manifold in ported communication with the upper portion of the, liquid seal container; asteam conduit from the locomotive boiler arranged to discharge downwardly through the upper side of said manifold through a nozzle; in the underside of said manifold, a vertical. conical dis-- charging tube having its larger end up wards, and opposed to the discharge end of the nozzle: a vertical conduit between said uuuiifold and the floor of the tender, the under end of said nozzle discharging downwardly into said conduit, and the conduit discharging through the floor of the tender; nterposed in the latter conduit. a noise mufllcr; and, in the upper portion of the temporar ash container, a batlle plate against which the ash conduit in the tender dis charges: all combined and (merating to cause the heavier constituents of the ash to fall into said temporary ash container and to permit air, dust and steam vapor to become entrained and to be discharged silentl v to the air.

3. In. the combination set forth in claim 3 a rearwardly discharging booster nozzle within the ash conveying conduit of the locomotive. and a conduit connection between said booster nozzle. and a steam container *arried by the locomotive.

-11. In the combination set forth in claim 2 the conduit COlll'Jlllig including telescopic members each movably connected with an end of an ash conveying conduit.

In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an open top. temporary waste storage container for reception of ashes with air. of means. within the upper portion of said container, for separating" heavier weight constituents from lighter weieht constituents of the ash; a liquid seal COl'il'fllllQl' enclosing the upper part of the container and having its walls spaced apart from the container walls; a manifold in ported connection with the. liquid seal container above the seal; a. nozzle for downward discharge of steam into the upper portion of the manifold; opposed to the discharge end of the nozzle and in the under portion of the manifold, a vertical, conical tube discharging into the upper end of a noise n'nitl'ling conduit structure discharging into the air; the nozzle and conical tube cooperating to create a partial vacuum within the manifold for entrainment of the lighter weight ash constituents with air pushing through the liquid seal.

(5. in the combination set forth in claim 5, a shut-off valve in the noise muli'ling conduit structure, the manifold having a port spaced apart from its ported conlnectimi with said liquid seal container: a fan and fan casing in communication with said port: a downwardly discharging, noise niulflingg; conduit structure in communication with the tan casing: and a shut-off valve between the manifold and fan casin the valves bc'lng' operable by an attendant for use either of the partial vacuum creating device in the HlfllllfOltl or of the fan, as may be de' sired.

7. In apparatusof the class described the combination with an open top, temporary waste storage container for reception of ashes withair. of means, within the upper portion of said container, for separating heavier wei ht constituents from lighter weight constituents of the ash; a liquid seal container enclosing; the upper part of the container and having its walls spaced apart from the container walls; a manifold. in ported connection with the liquid seal container above the seal; a nozzle for downward discharge of steam into the upper portion of the manifold; opposed to the discharge end of the nozzle and in the under portion of the manifold, a vertical, conical tube discharging into the upper end of a. conduit structure discharging into the air; the nozzle and conical tube cooperating; to create a partial vacuum within. the manifold for entrainment of the lighter weight ash constituents with air passing through the liquid seal.

Signed at Scranton in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania this 9th day of April A. D. 1-925.

SAMUEL S. RIEGEL.

(ill

ion 

